The invention concerns a feed pan, especially for poultry such as chickens and hens, for use in connection with a tube feeding system. The feed pan comprises a feed cone under which a bottom pan is mounted, and the feed cone has mounting elements for mounting on a feed tube, so that feed or similar material can flow from an outlet hole in the feed tube through the feed cone and down into the bottom pan, and so that the feed cone and the feed tube can be turned in relation to each other around the axis of the feed tube.
As mentioned, such a known feed pan is intended for mounting on a feed tube, in that as a rule several feed pans are disposed at suitable intervals on such a feed tube, and so that the feed pans are disposed immediately above the floor. At its one end the feed tube is connected with a silo or the like in which feeds or the like are stored, and the tube is provided with a transport system for the feeds or the like. This transport system is most often in the form of a worm conveyor, which is driven by a motor, which can be mounted at the other end of the feed tube.
The known feed pan is mounted on the feed tube by an upper part of the feed cone being assembled around the feed tube and secured, for example, by a screw assembly. The feed cone is mounted on the feed tube in a suitably loose manner, so that the feed pan can be turned around the axis of the feed tube, which for example is used in the emptying and cleaning of the feed pan. However, such an assembly requires that the feed pan is secured against being pushed away from its position on the feed tube, i.e. where the outlet opening is placed, which with the known feed pan is effected by clamps or the like being fastened around the feed tube on each side of the feed cone.
With the known feed pan, it is not possible to ensure that the same amount of feed is transported to all of the feed pans which are mounted on the same feed tube, in that normally there will be more feed dispensed in the feed pans which lie close to the feed silo than in the more remote feed pans. Moreover, it is not possible to effect a more accurately estimated dispensing by means of the known feed pans.
A feed pan of a similar kind is also known from U.S. Pat. No. 5,778,821. This publication shows a feed pan, which is suspended on a feed tube in such a manner, that the feed pan can be turned in relation to the feed tube. Moreover, the feed tube and the feed pan are configured with the view to ensuring that the dispensing of the feed does not depend on how far the individual feed pan is disposed from the supply end of the feed tube. There can thus be inserted a special insert in the feed cone to limit the down-flow into the feed pans which lie closest to the supply end of the feed tube, or as appears from another embodiment in the publication there can be used a feed tube where the outlet holes are provided on the side of the feed tube and at different heights, so that the feed pans which lie closest to the supply end of the feed tube are associated with an outlet hole which is placed relatively high, while the feed pans which lie furthest away are associated with an outlet hole which is placed relatively low.
However, this known arrangement is encumbered with the disadvantage that the feed pans must either be specially adapted depending on their positioning, i.e. depending on their distance from the feed silo, or the feed tube with its outlet holes must be specially configured in relation to the application, in that the positioning of the outlet holes on the feed tube must be calculated for each feed pan depending on the distance from the feed silo.
The object of the present invention is to rectify these disadvantages with the known feed pans, and at the same time to provide a feed pan which has more flexible application possibilities than the known feed pans.
This is achieved in that the feed cone is configured in such a manner that after a first turning of the feed tube in relation to the feed cone, the outlet hole in the feed tube will be closed, and in that the mounting elements for the feed cone are configured in such a manner that the mounting elements comprise means of adjustment which can co-operate with driving elements on the feed cone, so that the feed cone can also be turned together with the feed tube.
A wide range of possibilities for the utilisation of the feed pan is hereby achieved. By a turning of the feed tube, the feed pan can thus remain in its hanging-downwards position, but by a further turning, depending on the setting of the means, which co-operate with the driving elements, the feed pan will also be turned around with the feed tube. This can be used in the emptying and/or cleaning of the feed pans, in that with a first turning of the feed tube the outlet holes in the feed tube will now lie in a position in which they are closed off by the upper part of the feed cone. With a further turning, the feed pans will be turned further by means of the driving elements, and the feed pans can thus be moved over into a position in which they are turned approx. 90xc2x0 in relation to the normal position. Here, the feed pans can easily be emptied of remaining feed and the feed pans can be cleaned, for example by hosing down, without there being any risk that water and cleaning agent can penetrate into the feed tube, in that the outlet holes in the feed tube are, as mentioned, closed by the upper part of the feed cone.
Moreover, a precise dosing of the feed can be effected without the necessity of having to modify the individual feed cones or to configure the outlet holes on the feed tube in a special manner, such as is otherwise required by the technique which is known from the said US patent publication, in that at the same time by means of the invention all of the feed pans on the same feed tube can be provided with the same amount of feed. This can be effected by turning the feed tube approximately a quarter of a turn, so that the outlet holes are closed off. Here it is a condition that the adjustable means are in a position in which within the first quarter of a turn they do not enter into engagement with the driving elements. In this position, the feed transport system can be activated so that the feed tube is completely filled up with feed, after which the feed tube is turned back to its original position so that the outlet holes are opened again. The transport system can then be activated for a given period of time, or for a given number of revolutions e.g. of a worm conveyor, so that a certain and previously known amount of feed will fall down into each feed pan. With renewed filling of the feed pans, the sequence described is repeated.
Moreover, if this is desired, it will be possible to set the means which co-operate with the driving elements so that the feed pan is turned together with the feed tube from the start of the turning movement, and it will also still be possible to turn the feed pan around the feed tube in a purely manual manner, i.e. without the feed tube being turned, so that each individual feed pan can be turned manually.
The mounting elements can expediently comprise a driving strap with a driving arm. The driving elements on the feed cone can consist of a driving pin, whereby the driving arm rotates the feed pan when it engages with the driving pin, but where the feed pan follows the driving arm in the reverse direction only until the feed pan reaches its normal hanging-downwards position.
The driving elements can also comprise a slot into which the driving arm can be pushed, so that the feed pan follows the driving arm and therewith the feed tube in all movements.
The mounting elements can expediently comprise a gripping element which partially surrounds the feed tube, and which is secured by means of a lock part which can be partially tubular, and which along the feed tube is pushed into the gripping element. Hereby a particularly easy and simple mounting of the feed pan on the feed tube is achieved, in that the feed cone""s gripping element, which can be resilient, is pushed up around the feed tube, after which the lock part is pushed into place. The known arrangements with screw assemblies and the like are hereby avoided, and the dismounting of a feed pan can be effected in a similarly easy and simple manner.
Since the feed pan is not fastened firmly on the feed tube, but can be moved, it is expedient for the mounting elements to comprise parts which prevent the feed pan from being moved in the longitudinal direction of the feed tube away from the outlet hole for the feed. These parts can consist of the driving strap on the one side of the feed pan and a further retaining strap on the other side.
With a further expedient embodiment of the invention the bottom pan is mounted on the feed cone by means of a threaded rod and a mounting nut corresponding hereto. The distance between the bottom pan and the feed cone can hereby be regulated in a simple manner, so that a suitable distance is achieved with regard to the feed, which is used.
With a particularly expedient embodiment the mounting nut is configured so that it can be pressed in on the threaded rod from the side. It is thus not necessary to screw the nut all the way up from the end of the threaded rod, in that the nut can be xe2x80x9cclippedxe2x80x9d on the rod at a suitable place, after which a fine adjustment can be carried out in the normal way. Moreover, the mounting nut has a pair of gripping fingers which when pressed together will open the nut so much that it can be drawn sideways off the threaded rod. The separation of the bottom pan and feed cone can thus be effected in a quick and simple manner.
The lock part can expediently be configured with an arm, which has a through-going hole for mounting of a stabilizing bar. It is hereby avoided that one or more feed pans get completely or partly stuck on the feed tube.
The lock part can expediently be configured so that it can be provided with a mounting part, e.g. by clipping on, for the securing of a bottom pan.
Furthermore, on parts of the feed pan there can be configured parts which can grip around a wire or the like which extends up over and at a distance from the feed tube. It is hereby prevented, for example, that hens or chickens can perch on top of the feed tube.
The invention also concerns a feeding system especially for the feeding of poultry such as hens and chickens, said feeding system comprising a feed tube with a number of feed pans, a feed silo or a similar reservoir for feeds and a transport system for conveying the feed through the feed tube to the feed pans.
The system can expediently be configured in a manner whereby it is achieved that the same given amount of feed can be dispensed to each of the feed pans associated with a feed tube in the system. This can be done by turning the feed tube approximately a quarter of a turn in relation to the normal position, so that the outlet holes are closed off. Here it is a condition that the adjustable means are in a position in which they do not engage with the driving elements within the first quarter of a turn. In this position, the feed transport system can be activated so that the feed tube is completely filled with feed, after which the feed tube is turned back to its original position so that the outlet holes are opened again. The transport system can then be activated for a given period of time or for a given number of revolutions e.g. of a conveyor worm, so that a certain and previously known amount of feed will fall down into each feed pan. For a renewed filling of the feed pans, the described sequence is repeated.
Finally, the invention concerns the use of a feed pan or feeding system.